Alexander Volkanovski is including his identify to the checklist of fighters signing off on a future Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall combat.
Although Jones defends his heavyweight title in opposition to Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 this Saturday, it’s interim champion Aspinall who has claimed lots of the headlines as he has pursued a combat with Jones for the previous 12 months. Jones and Miocic had been initially scheduled to combat at UFC 295 in November 2024, however when a pectoral harm pressured Jones out of the competition, Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich had been known as upon to combat for an interim title. Aspinall went on to defeat Pavlovich by 69-second knocokut.
Since then, there have been requires Jones to combat Aspinall in a unification bout—a lot to Jones’ chagrin—however he and the UFC prioritized the Miocic re-booking. Breaking down the UFC 309 foremost occasion on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski made the case for Jones having to combat Aspinall ought to he defeat Miocic.
“I’m positive Jon Jones is sick of listening to this, however the Tom Aspinall combat is the combat everybody needs to see,” Volkanovski stated. “You wish to be a heavyweight champion, you wish to declare that crown—that may sound incorrect, since you did declare it. It was a vacant belt and also you fought [Ciryl] Gane for it and you bought it, but it surely’s going to be laborious to persuade me you’re defending champ in the event you don’t combat Tom Aspinall whereas he’s the interim champ and the most important menace.
“Does Jon Jones even want to do that? No, he’s already bought an unimaginable legacy. However if you wish to declare the heavyweight division, so that you had been a correct double champ… you’ve bought to combat Tom Aspinall. In the event you really need that in your résumé saying that I’m one of the best heavyweight whereas I used to be right here, it’s important to combat Tom Aspinall. I believe he’s positively the most important menace. The wrestling, in every single place, he might be harmful in every single place, and he’s a legit heavyweight. Explosive, quick. That’s the combat that I hope to see.”
Somewhat than talk about a possible combat with Aspinall, Jones has talked about mild heavyweight champion Alex Pereira as an opponent he’d wish to face. In brief time, Pereira has turn into one of many UFC’s hottest fighters, successful titles at 185 and 205 kilos, and flirting with the concept of leaping up yet another division to turn into the promotion’s first triple champion.
Volkanovski sees the attraction in Jones vs. Pereira, however nonetheless needs to see interim champion get the combat that he deserves.
“What he will get out of beating [Aspinall] could be, I believe for many of us, the fellows which can be within the know, that will be enormous,” Volkanovski stated. “However if you’re speaking cash and issues like that and star energy, I win over Pereira proper now could be large. That’s most likely one of many greatest fights you may do proper now, so I can see why he’s pointed there, however do away with the heavyweight belt then. … The interim champ’s there, that you must combat him and that’s simply how it’s.”
As for the way the motion unfolds on combat night time, Volkanovski goes with the favored Jones to maintain enterprise. In 29 professional bouts, Jones’ solely blemishes are disqualification loss to Matt Hamill in a bout that he dominated from begin to end, and a July 2017 bout with Daniel Cormier that was overturned from a Jones knockout win to a no-contest when Jones later examined optimistic for a banned substance.
Miocic additionally brings a formidable checklist of accolades with him to Madison Sq. Backyard. The Cleveland native holds the report for many profitable UFC heavyweight title defenses (4) and has knocked out a listing of legends, together with Daniel Cormier, Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, and Mark Hunt. Nonetheless, Miocic has not competed since a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in March 2021 and at 42 years outdated, his finest days are behind him.
In a battle of legends, Volkanovski sees Jones popping out on prime in convincing style.
“I like Stipe, however Jon Jones goes to be too good on this one,” Volkanovski stated. “You may’t wager in opposition to him, and I believe it most likely might be a end. May very well be a submission, might be a TKO. Do I believe it’s a one-punch knockout? No. Does he harm him? Knees to the physique, simply breaking him correctly down, like buckle his legs, knees, or bust his ribs, simply painful TKO if that is sensible.
“Like, increase, increase, increase, after which making an attempt to guard himself as a result of he’s actually harm and the ref has to only cease it. I can see one thing like that occur. And I can see that occuring perhaps within the first few rounds, first couple of rounds even, perhaps second-round TKO for Jon Jones.”
